Queensway homes plan is under review

Those in charge have promised to look again at the Queensway plan for 1,600 homes and the housing plan for the former NHS site by Fossetts Farm to try and include social housing.

Campaigners gathered outside a meeting this week to push for more housing for those on low incomes and have gained support.

Deputy leader Ron Woodley said: “We will be reviewing the Queensway project. I will be going through it with a fine toothcomb to see where we can make adjustments.

“I am not going to let people down in terms of making sure they have decent housing to rent or buy - the people here in Southend deserve better.”

When it was announced the council called the Queensway scheme the “biggest regeneration project in a generation” in partnership with Swan Housing.

The Queensway tower blocks will be demolished and replaced with  1,600 homes, of which at least 500 will be “affordable” under current plans.

A 14 acre site at Fossetts Farm was sold by the NHS to Homes England.

Mr Woodley said: “We have a lot of people working and living in Southend on low incomes.

“We have to make sure our housing strategy helps those people to afford somewhere decent to live whether its renting or buying - we need to make that happen.”

The land, which is adjacent to the proposed new stadium for Southend United, was previously owned by the NHS and it was sold to the government’s Homes England for £7.8million last summer after plans for a new diagnostic and treatment centre fell through.

A spokesman for Southend Council said: “We can confirm that, following the sale of the land at Fossetts Farm from the hospital to Homes England last year, we have been in contact with the new owner. Conversations about its future use are ongoing.” Campaigner Mike Fieldhouse, from Fossetts For The People, said: “We need houses fit for our children and grandchildren that are easily affordable. Anyone on an average wage in Southend just can’t afford the average house price of over £300,000.